


Fruity Pops

by hanzoshimadas



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adopted Peter, Adopted Peter Parker, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Endgame, Grief/Mourning, Peter Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Endgame, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 07:04:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18615592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanzoshimadas/pseuds/hanzoshimadas
Summary: After the dust has settled on The Avengers HQ battle, and Tony's memorial is held, Peter can't sleep but finds he's not the only one in the same situation.





	Fruity Pops

**Author's Note:**

> I saw Endgame tonight and I am not okay.

Peter was unsure of how he'd came to be sat with a foil blanket wrapped around him in the presence of a King but he'd learnt in the past few years that stranger things could happen, and certainly to him.  
  
After Thanos and his minions had been reduced to dust he remembered Tony and trying to formulate something meaningful to say, inevitably failing miserably.  
  
Pepper had held Tony's hand when he'd drifted peacefully to sleep and Peter could do nothing but feel the deepest regret in the pit of his stomach for not saying more.  
  
The rest was blank.  
  
And now he was looking vacantly out at the empty fields on the none battlefield ridden side of what was formerly the Avengers HQ with someone's hand resting on his shoulder trying to offer reassurance.  
  
"Peter..."  
  
He didn't have a name to put to the voice but he remembered someone telling him that the guy was the King of Wakanda.  
  
"I am sorry about your loss, Tony Stark was a great man, and he died with honour as both a hero and the saviour of this planet. Without his sacrifice I am sure many lives would have been lost and much blood would have been shed."  
  
Peter sniffled, using the back of his hand to wipe his nose.  
  
The hand on his shoulder moved before a rustling sound followed. A tissue was held out to him.  
  
He looked to the source to find one of the women who had stood in his defence earlier during the battle. She smiled at him, eyes flowing with sympathy as she opened her arms.  
  
"Do you want a hug?"  
  
Peter wanted to say no but he couldn't bring himself to shake his head, instead nodding quickly, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks as he was pulled gently close.  
  
"What's your name?" He asked.  
  
"Shuri, and this is my stupid brother, T'Challa." She replied teasingly.  
  
Peter smirked.  
  
"I'm Peter. Tony was..."  
  
"Your foster Dad, we know, it's why we suggested you should come with us." T'Vhalla answered. "Our own father passed away last year so we know exactly what you're going through and how much it hurts right now."  
  
"It always gets better though, and you have to remember that he loved you a great amount, and you're not alone. I think today proved that."  
  
He nodded as footsteps approached.  
  
"Hey, kid..."  
  
Happy.  
  
Peter looked up before immediately rushing into an expectant hug, the man's arms tightly wrapping around him before a thankful exhale followed.  
  
"Thank God you're okay."  
  
"Tony..." Peter stumbled over the name trying not to cry again as he pulled away.  
  
"I know. I know..." Happy placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's head home."  
  
He looked to Shuri and T'Challa and offered a smile.  
  
"It was nice to finally meet you Peter." The King nodded with Shuri offering a two-finger salute.  
  
Happy guided him to the car before opening the door to allow him inside. Pepper was there, immediately pulling him closer and swallowing him up in a hug of her own.  
  
"It's going to be okay. We'll get through this together, okay?"  
  
Peter broke at the word, burying his head against her as light hiccuping sobs encompassed him.

* * *

One week after the memorial and Peter still couldn't escape the sense of dread plaguing him.  
  
The house was quiet as of late, Pepper having been purposely keeping herself busy with Stark Foundation work now that the funeral and memorial had passed while Happy was still providing countless statements and answers to the world's press.  
  
Every news channel spoke only of the attacks which took place that day at the HQ and the hole left by Tony's death. The world was in mourning and the planet had lost it's greatest Avenger.  
  
Sleep was something he hadn't been doing much of, the battle having left scars which ran deeper than just the surface level of grief. He couldn't close his eyes without seeing those beings wreaking havoc, Tony being stabbed and then holding him telling him he was going to be okay. He also felt ill as he remembered the cacophony of explosions which proved almost deafening when he was alone.  
  
Slowly creeping from his room to not wake anyone in the house he made for the staircase.  
  
"Peter?..." Came a small voice.  
  
Gently pushing open the rainbow adorned door he looked round to see Morgan sat up against the headboard.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing up, it's late?" He asked softly, entering the room and closing the door behind him.  
  
Peter took a seat on the edge of her bed before finding himself with arms full of Morgan as she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder, squirming for a few seconds before she was content and comfy against him.  
  
"I heard you moving outside and I wanted a hug."  
  
"Oh well you can have one of those anytime, you know that."  
  
"That's why I whispered." She answered with a yawn. "I'm not tired..."  
  
Peter smirked.  
  
"Sure you're not."  
  
"I'm not!" She protested, quietly.  
  
"Okay, what would make you not tired then?"  
  
"Fruity Pops."  
  
"Morgan that is the complete opposite of what sugar does." He answered.  
  
She giggled.  
  
"I know. Daddy would eat them with me sometimes really late at night when I would sneak downstairs and surprise him at his work table. One time..." Morgan leant in close to his ear. "He even swore." She whispered.  
  
Peter faked a gasp.  
  
"Oh no, did he say a rude word?"  
  
"Yeah, he said shit."  
  
"Morgan don't repeat it. Princesses who say naughty words don't get Fruity Pops." He replied, knowing exactly what he was doing.  
  
The girl pulled away with delight in her wide mouthed expression.  
  
Peter shuffled her into his arm before standing up from the bed and leaving the room, heading downstairs to the kitchen.  
  
"Which ones are your favourite?"  
  
"The red ones and the blue ones." She answered animatedly.  
  
Peter sat her down atop the marble island before opening the freezer drawer and removing two Fruity Pops handing a blue one, after discarding the wrapper, to Morgan and grabbing himself a green one.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"You're welcome, sweetie."  
  
Peter picked her up once again, pretending to groan against her weight which made the little girl giggle as he clicked on the porch light and took a seat on the soft couch, the sun beginning to slowly rise in the distance.  
  
Morgan shuffled along the cushion so that she was leaning against his side, eagerly digging into the popsicle.  
  
Peter licked his own Fruity Pop before pulling it away to inspect.  
  
"What flavour even is green?"  
  
"Watermelon."  
  
"Watermelon, I thought it would be apple, how posh are these things?"  
  
"Mom doesn't like me eating colours."  
  
Peter smirked, pushing strands of her hair away from her face, and most importantly, the sticky popsicle.  
  
"Food colourings, you're not Marceline."  
  
"I'm Princess Bubblegum _actually_." Morgan corrected.  
  
"Apologies, Princess."  
  
They sat in silence happily eating away at their popsicles until the sun had fully began to illuminate the fields for a new day. Peter glanced down to where his hand had been gently stroking the little girl's hair to see her fast asleep against him.  
  
Peter smiled, carefully leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head.  
  
The door to the porch creeked open to reveal Pepper.  
  
"Sorry, she was..." He began.  
  
"It's okay, I heard the two of you on the move earlier."  
  
"Can't sleep either?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Join the club. I think Morgan would say that entry into this prestigious group involves Fruity Pops though."  
  
"Have you two been raiding my freezer?" Pepper raised an eyebrow with a smirk.  
  
"She's very good." Peter grinned. "You know she's just gonna' be a female Tony, right?"  
  
She sighed.  
  
"I thought the same until he... passed. I mean, she's only five, do kids even remember people they lost when they were five?"  
  
Peter took a breath.  
  
"My parents died when I was three, but Aunt May kept them alive for me through photo albums, videos, and stories." He explained. "Morgan will have every single Avenger to tell her about her Dad and how amazing he was. She'll have you, and Happy, and Rhodey..."  
  
"And you." Pepper added with a tearful smile.  
  
Overcome with childish insecurities he couldn't hold back the question that had been circling round his head for days.  
  
"So you're not getting rid of me? Because I know given what's happened that a lot has changed, and I would completely understand if-"  
  
Peter couldn't finish his ramblings before strong arms embraced him.  
  
"You are as much a Stark as the little girl covered in blue popsicle snuggled into your side. You're not just here because of Tony, you're here because we love you. You're family, Peter."  
  
"And family means nobody gets left behind..." Morgan's sleepy voice spoke up as she rubbed a hand across her eye, looking up at him.  
  
Peter tried not to cry as he scooped the girl up into his arms.  
  
"Does that mean I'm Stitch?"  
  
"Obviously..."  
  
He fake gasped.  
  
"What do you mean obviously?"  
  
Peter drew Morgan into a pretend crushing hug causing her to screech in fits of giggles.  
  
Pepper smirked, ruffling a hand through Peter's hair before taking a seat in a chair of her own smiling at the scene in front of her.  
  
All seemed peaceful.


End file.
